A panel of federal judges this week ruled preliminarily that the
state must release anywhere from 38,000 to 54,000 prisoners because
overcrowding compromises medical care, the sheriff said. Hill,
among 24 sheriffs who are acting as
”
interveners
”
in the process, noted that the judges left open the possibility
for a settlement before a final ruling.
HOLLISTER
Sheriff Curtis Hill today warned that a federal court ruling to release as many as 54,000 prisoners over the next two to three years – or as much as one-third of the state’s inmate population – would have a “direct and immediate public safety impact.”
A panel of federal judges this week ruled preliminarily that the state must release anywhere from 38,000 to 54,000 prisoners because overcrowding compromises medical care, the sheriff said. Hill, among 24 sheriffs who are acting as “interveners” in the process, noted that the judges left open the possibility for a settlement before a final ruling.
“And I guarantee you, I’m going to be at that table,” Hill said.
In contending there would be a direct impact on local and statewide residents, Hill estimated that 70 percent of those inmates would “start recommitting crimes immediately” and he noted a statistic that 8 percent of those ex-convicts would be back doing five to seven felonies per day once released. He argued that the main cause of overcrowding in the state’s 33 adult prisons is a parole system fostering a “revolving door” for many inmates.
As overseer of the county jail, Hill said such a release would cause additional problems on the local level. He said the county would have to hold convicted criminals – including in homicide cases – until the state reaches the cap established by the court.
“That creates all kinds of housing issues, all kinds of classification problems,” he said.
For Hill, the solution revolves around fixing the parole system and offering improved opportunities for rehabilitation. He estimated that about 125,000 of the state’s prisoners are in on parole violations and called the system an “endless revolving door.”
“Parole reform is going to be a very critical piece,” Hill said.
Two of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s requests to lawmakers to reduce the prison population target the parolee population while calling for ending of parole for ex-inmates not convicted of a violent or sex-related crime, and raising the monetary limit for property crimes to be considered felonies.
Hill believes there is also a severe lack of rehabilitation offerings for inmates – which led the sheriff to pursue a partnership with San Louis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties on a reentry program aligning with the state’s commitment to fund a new jail here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
